Collapsible bqat



A. E. FORD.

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT. APPLICATlON man JUNE :0, 1918.

Patented May 13, 1919.v

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

AsMmumN, n c.

A. E, FORD.

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

APPLICATION mp0 JUNE 10. 1918.

Patented May13, 1919., 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. E. FORD.

COLLAPSIBILE BOAT.

A'JPUCATION men JUNE 10. ms.

Patented May 13, 1919,,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARCHIBALD EDWARD FORD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOAT.

Application filed June 10, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I ARGHIBALD EDwARo FORD, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 42 North Audley street, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Collapsible Boats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises improvements in and relating to collapsible boats, and has for its object to provide craft of th1s type which are not expensive to produce, which are easily made ready for use or collapsed, and when in the collapsed condition occupy a minimum of space, and which possess great stiffness and stability having regard to the fragile nature of their construction.

It has already been proposed to construct collapsible boats with a rigid keel provided with a stem and stern hinged to the keel, fiexi le longitudinal ribs or stiflt'eners and gunwales hinged to the said stem and stern post, a single or double skin or envelop permanently fixed by nails or otherwise to the keel,stem, stern post and longitudinal stiffeners and means such as stretchers or floors and struts for maintaining the longitudinal ribs or stifi'eners in the distended or erected condition, such struts having been in some cases used with chains or the like for preventing undue distention of the longitudinal ribs or stiffeners. Collapsible boats have also been made unsinkable by providing buoyancy chambers comprising a flexible jacket or outer cover furnished with an inner pneumatic tube and extending along each side and outside of the boats skin or envelop and such boats have also been provided with a covering or extension of the skin at each end like a half deck.

ers, some of which are pivotally mounted beneath the floor boards or foot boards,

i spreading being prevented by cross tie cords Specification of Letters Yatent.

paost integral with or According to this invention the skin or Patented May 13, 1919.

Serial No. 239,229.

which are pulled to give the desiredtension and then knotted The sides are preferably erected and stiffened by cross diagonal struts engaged with the upper and 'lower longitudinal canes or stiffeners, these struts being adjusted and held in position by tie cords. In order to keep the upper and lower stiffeners in their proper relative positions, struts are provided between them. If desired the sides of the boat may be further stifi'ened by the employment of inclined struts mounted between and engaging the gunwale or the upper longitudinal stiffeners and the transverse stretchers.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

And in order that this invention may be readily understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which Fi re 1 is a longltudinal section of a collapsible boat constructed according to this invention and Fig. 2 is a plan of same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line IIIIII of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4: is a similar view on the line IVIV Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a part plan of a modified construction of stretcher and flooring and Fig. 6 is a transverse section of same.

Fig. 7 is a plan of a modified construction of collapsible boat and Fig. 8 is a side view of same.

Fig. 9 is a transverse section on the line IXIX of Fig. 7

Fig. 10 is a vertical section showing means for stepping a light mast on the foot board.

Fig. 11 is a transverse section of a modified arrangement for stepping the mast.

Fig. 12 shows another construction for stepping the mast and Fig. 13 is a plan of same.

Fig. 14 is an inverted plan view of a folding foot board. 1

Fig. 15 is a longitudinal section of part of another construction of collapsible boat with a keel and keel stifi'ener and Fig.16 is a transverse section on the line XVIXVI of Fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a detail side elevation of a modification of the means for holding the keel stiffener in position and Fig. 18 is a transverse section thereof and Fig. 19 is an enlarged vertical section showing means of securing the ends of the side rods or stiffeners.

The improved boat comprises, as shown in Figs. 1 2 and3 of the drawings, a skin or hull madeofwaterproofed canvas or other suitable material a, the gunwales 6 being stiffened by meansof rods or stiifeners c which may be. of; bamboo or cane, 'conveniently inserted in tubular edges or pockets (Z. formed along such gunwales and joined together at or. neareach of their ends by a cord 2 or the. like passing through transverse perforations in the said stiffeners. The skin a extends. over the top to form a kind of half deck at each end of the boat and this moreover provides a kind of pocket to contain and retain the ends of the longitudinal stifleners. The bottom. a of the boat is furthermore shaped and stiffened by means of lower longitudinal stifl'eners or rods 0 which may also be made of bamboo or cane and which may difi'er from the gunwale stiffenersor rodsc in shape or curvature, when the boatis in the. erected condition, chiefly owing to the upward bending. thereof as shown at c for the purpose of suiting the respective shapes of the prow and stern. It is eonvenientto make small boats with the two ends similarly shaped, in which case, the stiffeners or rodswould be similarly flexed or bent at. both ends.

The sides of the boat are erected and stiffened chiefly by means of, cross diagonal struts 6, one pair being used near the forward end and another pair at-the stern end. These two pairs are usually found sufiicient for small boats and are preferably pivoted togetherv in the middle where they intersect. These diagonal struts e engage the upper stiffener c on one side and with the lower stiffener c 'on;the.opposite side. If desired, for longer boats the sides maybe further stifiened or shaped by a third. stiffener marked 0 between the upper and lower stiffeners 0 and c Near each end of the boat the upper stiffeners c and the upper ends of the struts ev are connected together by means of cords or ties it which are suitably tensioned whereby the crossed diagonal struts e are held'in place andthe upper ends are prevented from spreading.

The lower rods or longitudinal stifi'eners c are preferably spaced apart by means of a series of three or more transverse stretchers or floors f pivotally mounted at f upon the under side of ,the burdens or foot-board g. If desired the foot board may be divided and hinged in the middle of its length at g so as to occupy less space longitudinally when the boat is in the folded. condition.

The stretcher or floor f, situated at this place is not necessarily pivoted to the foot. board and in that'case is placed in position first. By placing the foot board in the bottom of the boat and turning the stretchers f (pivoted to the foot board) into position at right angles to the keel line of the boat, the ends of these stretchers f being furnished with recesses corresponding to the contour of the stiifeners c engage the lower stifi'eners 0 and hold them apart at the required distance. These stitfeners c are maintained in engagement with the transverse stretchers or floors f and are prevented from spreading preferably by means of cross ties in the shape of ties or cords ]L1 which are adjusted and then tied and knotted so that, when the tIZLHSVGlSB stretchers f are forced or tapped into position, the cross ties [L are tensioned and hold the parts in engagement.

In order to stiffen the sides when erected and as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 inclined struts, stifieners or stretchers Z may be advantageously inserted between the upper and lower longitudinal stiii'enerscc on the same side, the ends of these struts Z, being suitably shaped or fitted for engaging the said stifleners c 0 The pockets d are partially interrupted or opened at these plzu es to permit the upright struts to engage with the longitudinal stilfeners. If desired, vertical tubular pockets may be formed upon the interior of the sides of the boat to receive these upright struts or stifi'eners. Or fabric caps may be formed near the gumvale 7) to receive the upper ends of these stiffener-s Z.

As shown in Fig. 4 to further stiffen the sides of the boat struts Z inclined to the struts Z may be employed in the waist of the boat or ainidships, the lower ends of the said struts being adapted to engage in notches F" in the stretchers 7, while their upper ends are recessed and adapted to engagewith the upper stifieners 0. Or instead of being jammed against the stiifeners c the upper ends of the inclined struts Z may be received in pockets formed in or on the tubular pockets for the stifl'eners c.

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the transverse stretchers f are suitably secured in place on the stiffeners 0 by means of cleats c 0 over which the recessed ends of the stretchers are sprung. The cleats may also be used to keep any of the struts herein described in position. The burdens or foot boards'may be wholly or partially made of slats g 9 connected together by battens (not shown) and the slats may be held in position by means of clips 9* hinged or pivoted to the stretchers f. In this case thestretchers are not pivoted. to the foot boards and when thelatter aredropped in place, the clips 9* are rotated or turned soas to lie fore-andaft between-the slats g and 9 after which they are turned to the position shown so as to engage with the slats g In order to increase the stability and buoyancy of such a craft and as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the fabric skin or body a is formed or provided with known external longitudinal tubes or pockets i which may be inflated or filled with buoyant material. Or as shown inflatable tubes 70 fitted with valves 70 may be inserted in the said pockets 2' as will be readily understood. As will be seen, such buoyant 'belts not only increase stability and buoyancy but they also act as fenders.

The foot board 9 may be provided as shown in Fig. 10 with a socket s for enabling a light mast t to be stepped, and such socket may be hinged at s s to lugs on a plate 8 through which passes the pivot pin 7' connecting the forward transverse stretcher f with the footboard g.

Moreover, as shown in Fig. 11 a stay socket or step a may be fitted to one of the forward diagonal struts e to receive the mast t and the socket or step may also if desired be temporarily fixed by a screw or clips to the foot board 9 in any convenient manner. 1

Or as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the foot of the mast may rest in a step or socket a fixed to one of the diagonal struts e and auxiliary struts '0 may be provided between and each is suitably hinged to the upper end of each of the forward diagonal struts e and the mast t. Also stay ropes may be connected with the mast and eyes secured to the fabric or to the stiffeners c at the nose and at the quarters of the boat as will be readily understood without illustration.

When the foot board 9 is removed in collapsing the boat, the second and third stretchers f are partially rotated as shown in Fig. 1 1 so that the ends of these stretchers do not project beyond the edges of the foot-board, but if the terminal or first and fourth stretchers f are rigid they will extend at the ends of the sides of the foot board. In order, however, to permit of these terminal stretchers being contained within the confines of the foot-board they are each divided into halves and hinged in the middle on the pivot f on which the stretcher is adapted to be partially rotated. This construction differs from that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 inasmuch as there are only four stretchers on floors 7 instead of five and all four stretchers are pivoted to the footboard.

As shown in Figs. 15 and 16 there are three side stiffeners or canes 0 0 and 0 on each side of the boat, these canes being bent to produce a cross section of ordinary boat shape and the two uppermost canes c are conveniently inserted in tubular pockets 0Z along the gunwales- If desired the stiffeners 0 may also be inclosed in similar pockets. Beneath the floor board there are three stiffeners 0 c and 00, the one marked ac,

,tive positions.

w is conveniently pressed downward by strut devices 50 inserted between these loose stretchers f and the keel stiffener 00. Or the strut devices 00 may be hinged to stretchers f at Or as shown in Figs. 17 and 18, the strut devices may each consist of a small piece of wood m hinged at 00 to the stretcher f and furnished with a shaped wire spring 00 adapted to elastically engage with the keel stiffener w.

As shown in Fig. 19 the ends or end portions of the longitudinal stiffener rods or canes may be connected together by a U- shaped wire a of metal (see also Figs. 15 and 16) which wire may be suitably engaged with the holes in the canes instead of using the rope or cord 2 already referred to in some of the previous figures, such as Figs.

1,2 and 3, andso that, in this particular case,

the bottom part of the U-shaped wire engages the keel or stiffener w and the lower canes 0 while the ends of the limbs of the U pass through the other stifi'eners. A cross piece or wire a formed with a loop at each end or a short piece of metal plate perforated at each end is passed over the two extremities of the said limbs, which latter are conveniently provided with screw threads at their ends. Nuts 2 are then screwed down upon the ends of the Ushaped wire and on to the loops or eyes of the cross wire be-.

tween the gunwale stifi'eners or canes and the nuts, the loops or perforated plates acting as washers. The nuts areadjusted until the U-shaped wire is drawn through the gunwale stiffeners to the desired extent for holding all the stiffeners in the desired rela- By this mode of securing the stiifeners, the latter are held rigidly in position without possibility of twisting, and,

nevertheless, the boat may be collapsed as readily as when cords are employed. In a flat bottomed boat only the stiffeners or canes on respective sides are passed over respective limbs of the U-shaped wire. The U-shaped wires may be applied to the stifl'eners quite close to the. ends thereof and the nuts may,

when tightened up, squeeze one stiffener upon another with or without the interposition of washers or other packing material.

I claim: 1. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at boat, a pair of crossed diagonal struts, connected together, each engaging at one end with an upper longitudinal rib, on one side and at the other end with a lower longitudinal rib on the other side of the boat.

2. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pockets, means for connecting the longitudinal ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of transverse stretchers for distending one pair of the said ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat, a plurality of cross-ties for connecting the ribs together, a' plurality of intermediate longitudinal stifl'eners between the ribs forming the gunwales and the ribs at the junction. of the sides and bottom and, toward each end of the boat. a pair of crossed diagonal struts, connected together, each engaging at one end with an upper longitudinal rib, on one side and at the other end with a lower longitudinal rib on the other side of the boat.

3. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pockets, means for connecting the longitudinal ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of transverse stretchers for distributing one pair of the said ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat, a plurality of cross-ties for con necting the ribs together, a plurality of struts to force apart the upper pair of ribs forming the gunwales and the ribs at the junction of the sides and bottom, and, toward. each end of the boat, a pair of crossed diagonal struts, connected together, each engaging at one end with an upper longitudinal rib, on one side and at the other end with a lower longitudinal rib on the other side of the boat.

4:. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pockets, means for connecting the longitudinal ribs to'the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of transverse stretchers for distributing one pair of the said ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat, a plurality of cross-ties for connecting the ribs together, a plurality of struts to force apart the upper pair of ribs forming the gunwales and the ribs at the junction of the sides and bottom, a plurality of inclined struts each mounted between and engaging one of the upper pair of ribs and a stretcher at a place interinediate of its ends, and, toward each end of the boat, a pair of crossed diagonal struts, connected together, each engaging at one end with an upper longitudinal rib, on one side and at the other end with a lower longitudinal rib on the other side or the boat.

5. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end'of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pockets, means for connecting the said ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of transverse stretchers for distending one pair of ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom Of the boat a plurality of pairs of crossed diagonal. struts, pivoted together, each diagonal strut engaging at one end with an upper rib on one side and at the other end with a lower rib on the other side of the boat, a plurality of ties for connecting together the upper pair of ribs and a plurality of ties for connerting together the lower pair of ribs.

6. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible,

longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends engaging in the said pockets, means for connecting the said ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends. a plurality of transverse stretchers for distending one pair of ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat a plurality of pairs of crossed diagonal struts, pivoted together, each diagonal strut engaging at one end with an upper rib on one side and at the other end with a lower rib on the other side of the boat, a plurality of struts to force apart the upper and lower ribs on each side of the boat, a plurality of ties for connecting together the said upper and lower ribs, a plurality of ties for connecting together the upper pair of ribs and a plurality of ties for connecting together the lower pair of ribs.

7. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pockets, means for connecting the said ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality oftransverse stretchers for distending one pair of ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat, a plurality of pairs of crossed diagonal struts, pivoted together, each diagonal strut engaging at one end with an upper rib on one side and at the other end with a lower rib on the other side of the boat, a plurality of struts to force apart the upper and lower ribs on each side of the boat, a plurality of ties for connecting together the upper and lower ribs, a plurality of inclined struts, each mounted between and engaging an upper rib and a stretcher at a place intermediate of its ends, a plurality of ties for connecting together the upper pair of ribs and a plurality of ties for connecting together the lower pair of ribs.

8. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pockets, means for connecting the said ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of transverse stretchers for distending one pair of ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat, foot boards adapted to rest on the said stretchers, a plurality of pairs of crossed diagonal struts, pivoted together, each diagonal strut engaging at one end with an upper rib on one side and at the other end with a lower rib on the other side of the boat, a plurality of ties for connecting together the upper pair of ribs and a plurality of ties for con necting together the lower pair of ribs.

9. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pocket, means for connecting the said ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of transverse stretchers for distending one pair of ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat, some of the said stretchers being pivoted to foot boards, the said foot boards, adapted to rest on the stretchers, a plurality of pairs of crossed diagonal struts, pivoted together, each diagonal strut engaging at one end with an upper rib on one side and at the other end with a lower rib on the other side of the boat, a plurality of ties for connecting together the upper pair of ribs and a pluralityof ties for connecting together the lower pair of ribs.

10. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pockets, means for connecting the said ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of trans verse stre'tchers for distending one pair of ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat, some of the said stretchers being pivoted to foot boards intermediate of and in the neighborhood of the ends of the foot boards, the stretchers near the ends of the foot boards being divided in the middle and hinged so as not toproject beyond the edges of the foot boards except when in the extended condition, the said foot boards, adapted to rest on the stretchers, a plurality of pairs of crossed diagonal struts pivoted together, each diagonal strut engaging at one end with an upper rib on one side and at the other end with a lower rib on the other side of the boat, a plurality of ties for connecting together the upper pair of ribs and a plurality of ties for connecting together the lower pair of ribs.

11. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, -a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pockets, means for connecting the longitudinal ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of transverse stretchers for distending one pair of the said ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat, a plurality of cross-ties for connecting the ribs together, cleats on the said ribs to retain the stretchers and struts in position, and, toward each end of the boat, a pair of crossed diagonal struts, connected together, each engaging at one end with an upper longitudinal rib, on one side and at the other end with a lower longitudinal rib on the other side of the boat.

12. A collapsible boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each side of the said skin, a buoyant cushion in each pocket, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engag ing in the end pockets, means for connecting the longitudinal ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of transverse stretchers for distending one pair of the said ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sides and the bottom of the boat, a plurality of cross-ties for connecting the ribs together, and, toward each end of the boat, a pair of: crossed diagonal struts, connected together, each engaging at one end with an upper lone gitudinal rib, on one side and at the other end with a lower longitudinal rib on the other side of the boat.

13. A collapsible, boat comprising a skin of flexible waterproof material, a pocket at each end of said skin, a plurality of flexible longitudinal ribs connected together at their ends and engaging in the said pockets, means for connectin the longitudinal ribs to the skin intermediate of their ends, a plurality of transverse stretohers for distending one pair of the said ribs to form the angle at the junction of the sidesand the bottom of the theboat, a pair of crossed diagonal struts, boat, a plurality of cross-ties for connecting connected together, each engaging at one the ribs together, a keel rod, a longitudinal end with an upper longitudinal rib, on one 1 pocket in the skin to contain said rod, a keel side and at the other end with a lower 1011- 5 stifi'ener adapted to press on the said rod, gitudinal rib on the other side of the boat.

struts mounted between the stretchers and the keel stiffener, and, toward each end of ARCHIBALD EDWARD FORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

